Lisbon has garnered a reputation as an affordable city break in Europe, and part of the attraction for visitors is definitely the shopping opportunities. From super high-end designer boutiques to one of a kind gourmet delicacies, you’ll find it in Lisbon.
Part of what makes the city so gorgeous is that tucked away behind the Azulejo-fronted historic buildings lie both modern clothing shops and fabulous emporium’s selling authentic Portuguese goods. I have shared a post on shopping for souvenirs in Lisbon or some of the best markets to visit in Lisbon. This is very much an extension to those.
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Shopping In Lisbon
Whether you are doing a day in Lisbon or explore for 3 days or longer, you simply cannot miss on the retail therapy in the Portuguese capital. Below are some of the cool places to check out when shopping in Lisbon.
Luxury Shopping Experience
Lisbon is a beautiful capital with stately charm, and although Portugal is famously an affordable destination, you can take advantage of luxury shopping to rival Paris or Milan. You will be able to find all the high-end designer stores you could possibly wish for in Chiado, along the Avenida da Liberdade. This beautiful tree-lined boulevard in the centre of Lisbon boasts, MaxMara, Chanel, and Dolce and Gabbana stores among other designers.
A fantastic place to visit if you’re looking for the luxe experience is Fashion Clinic, it carries a huge range of products from accessories to perfume and jewellery for both sexes and is a genuinely stylish shopping experience. The shop changes its stock each season so that it has the latest designs.
Just off the Avenida da Liberdade sits Stivali Lisbon, which is both a clothing and shoe boutique which offers designer fashion labels from around the world. Stivali is the very epitome of high-end fashion in Lisbon, and it is a well-established shop which even puts on its own fashion shows.
Portuguese Boutiques
Hunt out gorgeous independent boutiques and traditional Portuguese crafts and products in the Bairro Alto. Wandering the maze of streets to find authentic trinkets and treats is fun to do late into the evening.
Start at A Vida Portuguesa (Rua Anchieta 11). Filled to the rafters with locally made oils and soaps in the prettiest retro packaging. The shop is run by a Portuguese journalist named Catarina Portas, who curates the most beautiful collection of Portuguese products. Shop for hand-decorated ceramic sardines, melamine picnic crockery, and sturdy coloured glasses.
Lisbon has a working history and as such, is quartered into sections devoted to individual crafts and professions. Once upon a time, you would have come upon groups of shops selling similar products, such as the gilders, shoemakers, and lacemakers. Although that isn’t the case today, many of the street names still reflect the tradition.
Pop into Retrosaria Bijou if you would like a taste of old fashioned Lisbon, this old fashioned haberdashery on Rua da Conceicao is a tiny trove of treasures. You will have your purchases rung up on an old fashioned silver till by a very experienced assistant who seems to have been there as long as the shop.
While you’re on Rua da Conceicao you must go into Perfumaria Alceste, it is from the same era as the haberdashers and evokes a pleasant nostalgia. The glass bottles of homemade perfumes are watched over by the very strict shop keeper, so don’t even try and touch or take any pictures.
Gourmet Food
In the same area, on the Rua dos Fanqueiros, you can enjoy strolling around all the little shops tucked away in the winding streets. You’ll find wine shops with a range of delicious ports from houses in the north, local cheeses, and other specialties.
Wake up and smell the coffee in Rua Garrett, where you’ll find Casa Pereira where you can follow your nose to a shop filled with coffee beans. You can buy ground beans and whole beans, including a small exclusive batch from Sao Tome. You can also cram your bag full of Portuguese tea, cakes, and chocolates from this shop, which has been in Lisbon since 1930.
To continue your gastronomic education, head over to the Antiga Casa do Bacalhau to admire the hanging salt cod. If you decide to buy some, then you’ll definitely have to drop into A Viuva, an old-fashioned hardware shop where you can buy a traditional cataplana, the hinged dish used to stew fish and seafood.
Cais do Chiado should be a stop on your food shopping trip, and it is a lovely organic grocery shop and cafe which not only sells snacks but beautiful trinkets to take home. This is the best place to buy a traditional metal lunch tin called a marmita, and buy a few decorated tins of Portuguese sardines by the Tricana brand.
Shopping Malls
Portugal loves its shopping malls, and Lisbon is no exception. There are many malls in the city and around the outskirts, but many of them simply offer the same chain shops that you’ll find anywhere. The best mall of all is the Embaixada, in a stunning neo-Moorish palace in the Príncipe Real area of town. A mall in a palace is a fun place to shop simply because of how unusual it is, but this mall also has a wide selection of shops for you to spend your euros. All of the stores in Embaixada showcase Portuguese design, culture, and food, and the restaurant in the centre holds Fado concerts on Tuesday and Sunday for you to enjoy after a busy day shopping.
If you are staying in the centre of the city it is easy you can wander over to the Armazéns do Chiado. Constructed after a fire destroyed this area of Chiado and it’s beautiful old 18th-century buildings in 1988, the three-story mall has everything you need. From Spanish fashion brand Zara to Portuguese electronic store FNAC you can enjoy a visit after visiting the cultural attractions of Lisbon.
Some of the huge shopping centres in Lisbon are Amoreiras, the Vasco da Gama Centre, and Colombo Shopping, and all have an enormous selection of shops and a food court.
Discount Outlet
Freeport Lisboa Fashion Outlet is over the Vasco da Gama bridge in Alcochete, about 30 minutes from Lisbon. It is the biggest outlet mall in Europe with international fashion brands, perfume, restaurants, and home decor. The shops usually offer around 70% off RRP, and tourists can pick up a VIP shopping card, which gives a further 10% off. The outdoor shopping centre is open from 10 am to 10 pm, and if you don’t have a car, you can get on the Freeport bus from Marques de Pombal Square in central Lisbon.
Also See:
- Cute Outfit Inspiration For Trips To Europe
- How To Pack For A Europe Vacation
- Best Areas To Stay In Lisbon
- Best Travel Hashtags For Trips To Europe
- Essential Items To Bring When Visiting Europe
- How To Get Around Lisbon
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